The lives of the residents of the Palestinian village of Atuf are turning into an unbearable hell due to the repeated attacks launched by Israeli settlers, as the residents face constant threats to their lives and property, which greatly affects their daily lives and deprives them of their most basic rights.
The family of Ms. Dalal Bani Odeh, consisting of eight members, lives in harsh conditions in the Ras al-Ahmar area of the village of Atuf, where her three children live in a fragile tent in the pastures, relying on raising sheep as a primary source of income. However, the repeated attacks by settlers since October 2023 have increased their suffering, and turned their daily lives into an ongoing nightmare.
In the latest of a long series of assaults, settlers deliberately damaged the family’s water tank, resulting in a financial loss of 7,000 shekels. They also confiscated the tent that sheltered her children, causing an additional financial loss of 1,500 shekels. Furthering their systematic policy of violence and oppression against the Palestinians,the settlers seized the family’s sheep pen, along with its partitions, fencing, and pergola, leading to another 3,000 shekels in losses, as this structure was vital to their livelihood. Additionally, they confiscated 5 tons of fodder, causing a financial loss of 7,500 shekels.
Due to the difficult circumstances imposed by the war, they were unable to restore the pen, which forced them to house their flock of 250 sheep in an unsuitable and unsafe place. With the unprecedented rise in feed prices, the family is facing great difficulties in providing food for their flocks, which threatens to completely destroy the flock, depriving them of their main source of livelihood and pushing them into poverty, especially
The war and ongoing restrictions imposed by the Israeli Army in the area have made it impossible at 5this time for the family to rebuild the sheep pen, forcing them to keep their 250 flock in an unsuitable and unsafe location. Moreover, the soaring cost of animal feed, made it even more difficult as the family now struggle to provide food for their flock, thus risking its complete loss and consequently depriving them of their main and only source of livelihood. This seriously threatens the family survival and pushes them further into poverty in light of this tragic situation and the difficult economic conditions they are living in.
What Ms. Dalal’s family is witnessing is only a small example of what the Palestinian families are suffering in Atuf and the West Bank, specifically in Area C. These repeated attacks are not random acts of violence but part of a systematic policy aimed at displacing residents and destroying their livelihoods. Such actions constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and the Fourth Geneva Convention. The ongoing violations, left unchecked, threaten to trigger a new wave of mass displacement in Palestinian territories, further eroding any prospects for peace and stability in the region.
About Atuf,
Atuf is located east of Tubas city, approximately 12 kilometers away. It is bordered by the Israeli settlement of Beka’ot to the east, the village of Yarza to the north, the town of Tamoun to the west, and the village of Nasariya to the south. The current population is estimated at 1,300 residents, with women making up approximately 46% and men 54% of the total population.
Prepared as part of the project:
“Mapping and Diagnosing Palestinian Rural Women’s Livelihood and Economic Empowerment in Area “C”
Implemented by: The Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem (ARIJ)
Prepared by:
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem
